1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a carrying case for musical instruments that also functions as a stand to securely support the instrument in a readily accessible position when it is not being used. More specifically, it pertains to a carrying case with a completely removable top, and a bottom portion that is hinged or jointed across its width allowing the bottom portion to fold into a stable stand.
2. Description of the Related Art
Combination carrying cases and stands for musical instruments exist in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 1,772,308, issued to Ezzelle on Aug. 5, 1930, discloses a combination carrying case and stand for Hawaiin steel guitars that incorporates folding legs to allow the rectangular case to serve as a stand to hold the guitar horizontally while it is played. U.S. Pat. No. 1,986,703, issued to Baker on Jan. 1, 1935, discloses a case for those types of stringed instruments played with bows, such as violins. The Baker invention comprises a stand-type apparatus that requires the use of the bow to hold the instrument at an upright angle from the case when the case is laid open longitudinally on a horizontal surface. U.S. Pat. No. 4,147,254, issued to Bruce on Apr. 3, 1979, discloses a case that can become a stand when the front panels are opened to the extent that they can support the case in an upright, tilted position, holding the instrument inside. Variations of the Bruce design are also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,290, issued to DeMato on Oct. 2, 1984, U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,785, issued to Jacques on Sep. 23, 1980, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,051, issued to Tiefenbrun et al. On Nov. 10, 1998.
The aforementioned prior art designs have several drawbacks. Some of them are not adaptable to a variety of instruments, i.e., require a bow to adequately stabilize the instrument in an upright position when not in use. Those that require the case to be laid flat on the floor take up too much space to be of use in some settings with limited space. Those that utilize the closing doors or panels in full or partially opened positions to support the case in an upright or partially upright/tilted position save floor space but sacrifice stability. One of the designs requires the use of bladders to form the stabilizing portion of the stand, offering greater stability but with the drawback of requiring the user to take too many steps to turn the case into a usable instrument stand.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art discussed above and provides additional advantages. It is a combination case and stand that when used in transport, has the appearance and simple functionality of a standard instrument case. To use the case as an instrument stand, the top can be completely removed, and the remaining bottom portion which holds the instrument is hinged or jointed transversely such that it can be folded over to form a very stable, simple, stand. It is the ability of the bottom portion to fold that provides the main advantage over previous designs. With the folding bottom, the present invention takes up minimal space and extends the top of the instrument above the confines of the case for easier access by the musician than any of the previously disclosed designs. With its increased stability, the present invention can be utilized with very light weight materials. Further, it requires no weight increasing parts over what is needed for a standard carrying case, and is simpler to use than the prior art designs. Other advantages include the ability for an instrument strap to be used without getting caught on the stand, protection for the instrument body while resting in the stand, and, as a carrying case, it is a standard size allowing it to easily stack with like cases or even with standard carrying cases. In addition, as a stand, the accessory pocket becomes a fold-down shelf.